Kharkiv, April 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Ukraine considers the stationing of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on its territory in the context of the system of collective security in Europe, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.
"We also consider this issue in the context of forming a European collective security system. We understand that the Black Sea Fleet will be one of the guarantors of security among the Black Sea countries," he said at a joint press conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev after extended talks in Kharkiv on Wednesday.
Yanukovych said that Ukraine supported the Russian president’s initiative to consider a concept for a European system of collective security. He said that Ukraine was ready to take an active part in this matter as a state that is not part of any military and political bloc.
"Ukraine wants to find its place and get respective guarantees of collective security, which, incidentally, were determined in an agreement on the nuclear disarmament of Ukraine back in 1996," Yanukovych said.
